TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Monmouth County man pleaded guilty
today to distributing child pornography on
the Internet. The defendant was among more
than three dozen people arrested in October
2007 as part of “Operation Silent Shield,”
an investigation that targeted offenders who
distributed known images and videos of child
pornography via the Internet.

According
to Director Gramiccioni, Nelson Gaffney, 53,
of Wall, pleaded guilty before Superior Court
Judge Ronald Lee Reisner in Monmouth County
to second-degree distribution of child pornography,
a charge contained in an October 2008 state
grand jury indictment.

In
pleading guilty, Gaffney admitted that between
August and October 2007, he knowingly used
Internet file sharing software to make multiple
files containing child pornography readily
available for any other user to download from
a designated “shared folder” on
his computer. A search warrant executed by
the New Jersey State Police on Oct. 4, 2007
revealed 86 movie clips containing child pornography
on Gaffney’s computer.

The
Digital Technology Investigation Unit of the
New Jersey State Police coordinated the investigation.
Deputy Attorney General Valerie Noto represented
the Division of Criminal Justice at sentencing.

Judge
Reisner scheduled sentencing for April 3.
Under the plea agreement, the State will recommend
a sentence of four years in state prison.
Gaffney will also be required to register
under Megan’s Law.